In the blink of an eye
by NanouBE76
Summary: When the Expendables are hired to recuperate a missing undercover CIA Agent, they soon realize that its not just business but personal. In the blink of an eye, your entire life can change!
1. Chapter 1

Barney pulled his hot rod pick up into Tool's garage and turned the engine off.

He got out and walked over to where Tool's was busy painting one of his guitars.

"How's it going brother"? asked Tool never removing his eyes from the guitar.

"Good. Had to run a few errands into town. You're finally finishing that guitar huh"?

"Yeah. Got a new little chick in the coop, thought I'd finish it and give it to her".

Barney raised an eyebrow.

"She plays the guitar"?

"I don't know, I haven't gotten around to talking about her possible musical capabilities. If you get what I mean"? said Tool laughing.

Barney laughed back. Tool was hopeless when it came to women but at least he had the merit of trying, which was more than Barney could say for himself.

Slowly after, the rest of the group arrived. It was Friday night and their usual get together.

As usual, Yang was trying to convince Barney to give him a raise, which was slowly starting to sound like an old broken record. Gunner was rambling about some scientific finding as Cesar rolled his eyes, not giving a damn about a single word he was saying. Lee was drinking his beer alone, in a foul mood. He'd been in one for the past two months after finding out that Barney had been right about Lacy and that she had in the end, cheated on Lee. Barney had been smart enough not to bring up the 'I told you so' speech, but it was obvious that Lee's ego had taken a hit.

There was a knock on the open door, and they turned around to see who it was.

"Well, look at what the alley cat dragged in", said Toll Road.

"What's the matter? You got lost Drummer"? asked Barney as he took his cigar out of his mouth.

"It's good to see you too", said Drummer as he walked over towards Barney and the others.

"You want someone to drink"? asked Lee as he walked over to grab himself another beer in the fridge.

"No thanks, this is business related".

"Business on a Friday night"? groaned Cesar. "Man, don't you have a life"?

Barney looked at Drummer. "What have you got"?

Drummer showed him a USB stick. "It's all on here. I'll walk you through it".

Barney stood and took the USB stick from him. They all headed towards the operational part of the hangar and all waited as Toll Road plugged the USB stick into the computer.

A picture of a beautiful woman came up on the screen.

"If you're lucking for a good party for this girl", said Lee smiling, "I volunteer".

Barney looked at him and frowned. "Lee, come on".

"What? I'm being dead serious. She's good-looking".

Barney rolled his eyes and then looked at Drummer.

"We're all ears".

"Covert Agent Charlotte "Charlie" Jane Michaels. Age 42. One of our best undercover agents. She's been with us for twenty years and undercover for the past fifteen years".

"Damn, I didn't know they made them like that anymore", said Cesar.

"They don't", said Drummer. "Which is why she's a major asset to the organization".

"Skills"? asked Barney.

"Profiling, linguistics, sniper, tactical. She's what we call in-house, a chameleon".

"A chameleon"? asked Gunner.

"She has the ability to become anyone you need her to become and with such ease it's unnerving".

Lee raised an eyebrow amazed by what he heard.

"So, what's the problem with your chameleon"? he asked.

"Two months ago, she was sent undercover to get information regarding Louis Juneau, a big name in South Africa. Guy is known for trafficking weapons, drugs, women. You name it, if it's illegal and bad, Juneau has it on his resume. Anyway, Charlie contacts her handler every two weeks and for some reason the communication has been lost".

"How long has she not reported back to the Agency"? asked Barney.

"One month", replied Drummer pushing his hands deeply in his pant pockets.

"You have an agent who's gone silent for a month and you wait that long to ring the alarm bell"? asked Barney.

"You think she's gone rogue"? asked Toll Road.

Drummer looked at him. "I don't think so".

"Why are you so sure she hasn't"? retorted Lee.

"We've got satellite images of the past two weeks over Juneau's residence, no sighting of Charlie, which is both unusual and worrisome".

"You believe Juneau found out and eliminated her"? asked Barney.

"No".

Lee looked at Drummer than at Barney. "Why do I get the feeling he's not telling us everything"?

"I'm getting that same vibe, Lee. Drummer, what are you not telling us"?

"If Juneau had caught on to what Charlie was doing, he would have killed her on the spot, on his property, the last image we have of Charlie is leaving the property alone, heading over to her rendez-vous point, but never making it".

"What about satellite images on route to the rendez-vous point"? asked Cesar.

"All disabled during a twenty-minute timeframe due to some unplanned maintenance".

"Unplanned maintenance"? asked Gunner. "Is that like a code name for it having been done on purpose"?

"Something like that", replied Drummer.

"Wait, is it something like that, or not? Because there's a big difference", replied Gunner.

Barney looked at him. "Gunner it doesn't matter, let's just keep moving".

"The Agency thinks that Charlie was taken but we have no idea by who and why".

"And we're supposed to go looking for a needle in a hay stack"? asked Lee annoyed. "Why isn't the Agency handling this"?

"Trust me they've tried but nothing has come up in the past week. We're constantly hitting dead ends. We've run out of ideas".

Barney nodded as he looked at Charlie's picture. "What would someone gain in abducting her? What kind of information does she have on the Agency"?

"Nothing" replied Drummer. "That's why we're stuck. But I think it's personal".

"Why do you say that"? asked Barney.

"Look, aside from her Agent skills, I don't really take the time to go in depth in researching the Agents that work for me, but when she disappeared, I did some digging in her file and I think I found something that could interest a lot of bad people out there".

"Like what"? asked Lee slowly starting to lose patience with Drummer who seemed to be trying to gain time.

Drummer looked at Barney. "You think we can talk in private"?

Barney furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Drummer. "Look, you're asking us for help. We're a team, whatever information you're going to disclose to me alone, I'll tell them". He paused for a moment. This was not like Drummer. "Drummer? What the hell is going on"?

"Fine, but remember I offered to take you aside personally. Just in case you want to hurt me after".

Barney shrugged.

"When I went through her personal file… I found this". Drummer took out an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to Barney.

Barney took the envelope and opened it.

"What is it"? asked Cesar.

"It's Agent Michael's birth certificate", replied Barney. He then looked at Drummer. "What are we supposed to do with this information? Who cares about her date, time and place of birth? How is any of this relevant"?

Drummer looked at Barney insistently. "Keep reading".

Barney returned his attention to the document and the suddenly lifted his eyes in Drummer's direction.

"What the hell is this"!?

"I don't think you need me to answer that", replied Drummer.

Lee stood and walked over to Barney. "What's going on"?

Barney handed him the birth certificate. Lee looked at it then at Barney. "Holy fucking shit"!

"You mind filling us in"? asked Toll Road.

Barney stood and got closer to the picture projected on the wall. He looked at her for a few seconds than turned around and looked at his men.

"She's my daughter"!


	2. Chapter 2

The room was silent for a split second as they looked at Barney.

"How is that possible"? asked Cesar.

Barney looked at Charlie's picture and said nothing.

"I don't think he needs to draw you a picture Cesar. You're smart, you should figure it out on your own", retorted Lee.

Cesar shot him a mean look. "Obviously. That's not what I meant. What I meant, was how come Barney only finds out about this now"?

Barney looked at Charlie's face in detail. He could see the resemblance with him.

"Joanna Michaels" said Barney as he turned his attention back to the guys.

He rubbed his chin as he remembered her.

"We met a long time ago. I met her just before being deployed. It was nothing serious. When I came back a year later, I found out she had left a couple of months after I had left. I moved on".

"It's obvious why she disappeared", said Toll Road. "Was she military"?

Barney nodded. "She worked for the Post Commander. When I heard she left, I thought she had been transferred to another base".

"From what Joanna Michaels' file says, she left the army at that time and went back to civilian life", said Drummer. "She passed away two years ago".

Barney nodded.

"She looks a lot like her mother. She has her smile".

"Look, I don't mean to be the one to say this but are you even sure she's your daughter"? asked Lee skeptical. "I mean where's the proof other than the fact that your name is on her birth certificate".

"I agree with Lee. Wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing happens. And obviously, if she's disappeared it might be hard to do a paternity test".

Barney sat down on the edge of the table. "I know what you're thinking but Joanna wasn't that time of girl".

"Still", said Cesar, "don't you want to be sure"?

Drummer coughed. "There is a way to do the paternity test".

Barney raised an eyebrow.

"We take a sample of DNA of all our agents, in case we need to identify them for reasons you can imagine. If you give me a mouth swab, we can check".

"Do it", said Barney. "But it doesn't change the fact that we have a missing agent that we need to find".

"Where do we start"? asked Lee.

"Well, we first need to dig into her file and cross reference all of the missions she's been on and rule out potential suspects".

All of them stood and started to walk out to start working.

"Lee"? said Barney.

Lee stopped and turned around as the others left the room.

"Yeah"?

"If she is indeed my daughter and this is personal, we need to put a list together of anyone who would want to get back at me".

Lee blinked a couple of times.

"Barney, you do realize that list is going to be long".

"I know. But I'm not taking any chances".

Lee nodded and walked away leaving Barney with Drummer.

Drummer went into his pocket and pulled out a cotton swab.

"You carry that kind of stuff on you"? asked Barney.

Drummer smiled at him a bit uncomfortable. "I know you Barney, I figured you'd want to be sure. I know I would".

"Why would you do it"? asked Barney.

"Because it would change everything".

Barney nodded. He knew what Drummer meant. If Charlie was indeed his daughter, it changed things. He had, younger, often imagined having a family of his own, but life had decided otherwise, and he had often regretted it.

He let Drummer swab the inside of his mouth.

"How long before we know"?

"I'll have the guys treat it with the highest priority and discretion. Let's say 48 hours. I'll let you know".

"I appreciate it Drummer. Thanks for coming out here, I know you didn't have to do it face to face".

Later that evening, Barney sat outside smoking his cigar. They had been going through all of Charlie's missions and there were a lot. It was obvious that she was hell of an agent. Barney had to admit, that she had everything to be an expendable.

"You wanna talk about it"? asked Lee as he joined Barney outside with a beer in hand.

"Not much to talk about is there"? replied Barney.

"Why do I find that hard to believe? You may have just found out that you have a daughter you didn't know about for about forty years, and you're going to tell me you're cool with that"?

"It is what it is, Lee. I can't change the past".

"I get that. But what about the future"?

Barney shrugged. "Unless we find her and alive, there won't be much future to think about".

"There's something I don't understand. Why didn't she come forward? I mean your name is on her birth certificate, you'd think she'd have come looking for you".

"I can't answer that Lee, but I too would be interested in knowing why".

"On a side note", said Lee, "I didn't mean to disrespect when I said she was good-looking earlier. Just in case she's your daughter".

Barney smiled. "Don't lose any sleep over it".

Lee laughed. "Good. Cause I still think she's good-looking"!

With that Lee walked away and went back inside.

Two days had gone by and they had been working numerous hours on potential suspects on Charlie's professional side of things as well as looking into personal suspects on her side.

Toll Road sat back in the chair.

"We've got nothing! All of the criminals she helped put behind bars are either still there or dead and that goes the same with affiliated associates. When that girl did her job, she did it damn good".

Barney rubbed his forehead. "Personal life? Anything"?

Lee looked at him and shook his head. "Aside from a few close friends, there's nothing. This girl spends more time working than be at home".

"You got an address"? asked Barney.

"Yeah and you're not going to believe it! She lives thirty minutes away from here".

Barney shook his head in disbelief. It was too unreal. He turned to Gunner.

"What about our list of potential suspects"?

"It is so long you wouldn't be able to tattoo it on your arm".

Barney closed his eyes briefly. It was no surprise. They had made a lot of enemies over the years and luckily some were dead, otherwise the list would have been even longer.

"Any one of these guys could be a potential suspect", continued Gunner.

"Yeah but it would need to be someone with resources and ways of getting this kind of information. Also, someone with time on their hands to go digging" replied Barney.

He looked at Lee then the others. "Ok. Lee and I are going to check out her place, the rest of you try to narrow down the list as much as you can. The longer we wait, the more chances she ends up dead".

"If she's still…", Cesar's voice trailed off as he realized what he was about to say.

Barney walked away without saying a thing. Lee looked at Cesar with a mean look. "Nice going, asshole"!


	3. Chapter 3

Lee picked the lock on Charlie's back door as Barney kept a look out.

When they let themselves in, it triggered the alarm system.

"Shit" said Lee as he rushed towards the front of the house to the main alarm system keypad and opened it. He took a pair of cutting pliers and cut one of the wires. He then looked at his watch.

"Under fifteen seconds", he said, "it shouldn't have triggered off the call to the company or the cops".

Barney nodded but remained quiet as he looked around the living room. It was a small 4 façade house with a little backyard. Knowing the kind of money an agent like that made, it was obvious that she wasn't flaunting it and had decided to live simply. There were a lot of pictures on furniture or the walls and he took the time to look at them. In some of them, Charlie was alone and the others she was with friends or Joanna. He picked up one of Joanna and Charlie and looked at it. The years had passed but Joanna hadn't changed. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be.

Lee looked around as well but whereas Barney had stopped at a picture of Charlie and her mother, he had stopped on a picture of Charlie on a beach at sunset. She looked amazing. She was wearing a long white maxi dress that was blowing in the wind, her long brown hair as well. Her face was lit by the setting sun in a mix of red and orange and she looked pensive. There were no words to describe the beauty of the photograph or the model on it and it kind of took his breath away.

Feeling Barney's stare on him, Lee put the frame down and continued into the dining room and living room. Seeing nothing interesting there, they headed upstairs. They had a look in the room she used as an office but there was no computer, no filing cabinet, just a few books and more pictures. Barney looked at a few books and took one in his hand, "The Art of War by Sun Tzu".

As he removed it, it triggered a panel in the wall and both Lee and Barney walked over to it. Lee blinked a couple of times before he could utter anything.

In the hidden partition of the wall was an arsenal worthy of an expendable. A Glock 22 and 23, an assault rifle, an RPD Light Machine Gun, a Heckler & Koch MSG 90 Sniper Rifle, M67 Fragmentation Grenades, Flash Grenades, two combat knives, two Bowie knives and three throwing knives.

"Damn! Maybe she is your daughter after all".

'And my kind of woman' he thought as he kept that to himself.

"What's the range of the MSG 90"? asked Barney.

"Over 3000 feet. Delta Force use that kind of stuff, you don't have that in a hidden compartment of your house unless you're good".

Barney closed the panel and put the book back on the shelf. They did a quick tour of the bedroom and left empty handed. Lee knew it would have been a long shot, undercover CIA Agents were very careful.

As they arrived back at the hangar, Barney's phone rang, and he stepped aside to take the call while Lee joined the others.

"And"? asked Gunner.

"Nothing really to work with but we got an insight as to how good she is at her job".

"What do you mean"?

Lee took out his phone and showed them the picture he had taken of the hidden compartment.

Toll Road and Cesar whistled at the same time.

"That's badass"! said Toll Road.

"And sexy", added Cesar.

"Cut if out", said Lee as he looked at Cesar.

Cesar shrugged. "What? You're going to tell me you didn't think the same thing? Especially since she has a bowie knife that happens to be your favorite".

Lee eyed him. "I'm offended that you would think I'm that kind of man".

Before Cesar could respond, Barney walked in with a distant look in his eyes.

"Everything alright"? asked Yang.

"It was Drummer. The paternity test results came in".

Even if all of them wanted to say 'and'? no one dared to.

"We've got to find her", continued Barney in a firm and determined tone of voice.

It was all it took for the others to understand that Charlie was indeed his daughter and even if they would have taken the job, it was now personal and even more important!


	4. Chapter 4

While the others continued to work on the potential list of suspects, Barney researched his new-found daughter and her life. Whatever he could find from her younger age to today. She had grown up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She had always been at the top of her class ever since she was in primary school. She was athletic and had been in the basketball, tennis and swimming varsity teams. She had graduated valedictorian from New Haven University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's program in criminal justice management and psychology. She was fluent in Spanish, French, German and Russian. He didn't know her yet, but he was damn proud of the woman she had become, even if it had been without him.

Suddenly, there was a ringing sound coming from the communication center. They all looked up from what they were doing and looked at each other inquisitively.

Toll Road headed for the computer.

"We've got a video call coming in". He looked at Barney. "You're expecting something"?

"No", said Barney. "Is the caller identified"?

"No. What do you want to do"?

"Take the call".

Toll Road nodded and clicked on the answer icon on the screen.

Barney frowned upon seeing the one on the screen.

"It's been a while Ross".

"Can't say I've missed seeing your ugly face, Church. What can I do for you"?

"I've got a mission for you, Ross".

"I'm already working on another important mission and I'm not interested in doing business with you or for you anymore".

Church saw that Barney was about to end the call. "My sources tell me that congratulations are in order".

"What are you talking about Church"?

"Well, it's not every day you learn that you have a daughter".

Barney narrowed his eyes.

"I've got no idea what you're talking about Church. Better get rid of your source because it's not reliable".

Church laughed as the scenery behind him changed as he walked. Barney and the others heard a door open. Church handed one of his man his ipad.

The image then showed Church sitting on a bed where Barney recognized an unconscious Charlie. Barney tightened his jaw and clenched his fists.

"Imagine my initial shock when I came across this information. Barney Ross has a daughter and didn't even know about it. When I saw her, I could see the resemblance with her father. Strong, talented and feisty".

Church's hand slowly trailed up Charlie's bare leg. "All the way down to the tattoos". His hand stopped at her ankle where a four-leaf clover was tattooed, then her right inner wrist where a tattoo of an arrow with the word 'strength'.

"My favorite one", continued Church as his hand trailed down to the top of her skirt. He pulled down the elastic band of her skirt and it revealed on the top of her pubis a tattoo of a red rose with a heart through its stem.

"And her skin, is so soft".

Church stood. "Enough about Charlie, let's talk business".

"You lay another hand on her and I will kill you", said Barney whose blood was boiling.

Lee looked at Barney and whispered to him "What are you talking about? He touched her already, he's dead"!

"You still owe me 5 million dollars Barney and I'm afraid that over the years and with the interest, that price has gone up to 25 million dollars".

"Done. Let her go"! said Barney in a threatening voice.

"Not that easy", replied Church.

"What do you want"?!

"I'll give you the details of the mission real soon. Charlie's sedative will wear off soon and I'm eager to spend some time with her, get to know her in and out. I'm sure it will be quite enjoyable".

"When I find you Church, I'm going to rip your heart out, piece by piece with a spoon".

"You'll never find me Barney, so, don't hold your breath. I'll be in touch. I'll make sure to pass on your regards to Charlie".

Church ended the conversation.

Barney kicked the chair across the room. "Son of a bitch"!

Gunner looked at him. "I guess we can stop working on that list".

"We need to get to Church", said Lee.

Cesar looked at him. "Why"?

"Because, if you ask me that mission of his, its suicide and even if its not, once we're done with it, we can't be sure he won't kill Charlie anyway".

"Church spends his time up in the air. He hardly ever sets in plane on the ground. How do you plan on doing that"?

"I don't know", replied Barney. "All I know is that we need someone on the inside. Someone we can trust and someone that won't get him suspicious".

He looked at Toll Road. "Did you record the video call"?

Toll Road nodded.

"Play it back".

After it had finished playing back, Barney turned towards Lee. "Church has never seen you and you're exactly the kind of guy he employs".

"When it comes to Church, that's not a compliment".

"If we can get you on his team, you'd be on the inside and could get to Charlie".

Lee stared at him. "And how on Earth are you going to get Church to hire a new guy"?

Barney smiled. "Trench. That is if you agree".

Lee put his hand on Barney's shoulder. "You know you don't need to ask me that".

Barney nodded and looked at Toll Road. "Send Trench a coded message. Have him meet us here tomorrow morning".

Barney and Lee walked away without saying another word but both couldn't bear the fact of seeing Church's hand on Charlie's body!


	5. Chapter 5

Trench looked at Barney then the others.

"And you want me to infiltrate Christmas as one of Church's new men"?

"Exactly", replied Barney.

"It's like inviting the President of the United States to your birthday party, practically impossible"!

Barney cocked his head to the side. "Trench, you know I wouldn't be asking this if it wasn't important and I think you've captured the urgency of the situation".

Trench nodded. "I'll try".

He then looked at Lee. "If you do get in, you're on your own".

"I can handle it".

"I'll be in touch", replied Trench as he stood.

He walked and stopped at Barney's side. "I hope you get your daughter back safe and sound, but if I can give you a tip. If you have the 25 million dollars, pay Church and when he least expects it, kill him".

Charlie stirred and opened her eyes. She blinked a couple of times and looked at the man that was sitting on the chair next to the bed she was sleeping in.

"Hello", said the man as he looked at her.

She said nothing as she quickly scanned the room and inventoried what was in it. There were no windows. There was only the bed she was in, a chair occupied by the man and a flat TV screen on the wall opposite the bed.

"Who are you"? she asked looking back at the man. He was wearing a suit, which indicated somewhat his level of status and importance.

"My name is not of importance but during the duration of your stay, you can call me Church".

She sat up in the bed and tilted her head to the side, analyzing him. He was smug and not something Charlie appreciated in people.

"Where am I and what am I doing here"?

Church stood and walked over to the flat screen TV to turn it on, revealing a map.

"We are currently flying over Atlanta. As to the reason why you are here, well, let's just say you are a person of interest, Miss Michaels.

She lifted an eyebrow upon hearing that. She had been far from imagining that she was in a plane and on top of that no longer in South Africa. And to top it all off, he hadn't presented himself as CIA and that was worrisome.

"Follow me", said Church as he opened the door and waited for her in the corridor. She stood and followed him. They arrived in the main cabin of the plane. Again, Charlie scanned the room. There were four men, armed and strongly built. There was a bar, a sofa and a few leather armchairs. Further down the hall, she could see a command center with a few more people and a lot of computers and screens.

"You must be thirsty. Allow me to get you something to drink", said Church as he headed towards the bar.

"Water, please", replied Charlie as she looked out one of the windows. They were at a cruising altitude.

Church returned with two glasses, his filled with whiskey. He handed Charlie her glass and motioned to the armchairs.

"I'll stand if that's alright with you", replied Charlie. She wanted to make sure that there was no friendly relationship settling in. She didn't trust Church and she wanted him to know it.

"Of course," he replied as he sat down in the armchair and took a sip of his drink.

He put his glass down on the table.

"Quite an impressive résumé that you have", said Church as he joined his hands on his lap.

Charlie smiled, but it wasn't a sincere smile.

"As much as it could be interesting to go over it, I would appreciate it if you could land this plane, so that I can get back to work".

Church smiled. "Unfortunately, I can't do that".

"Of course not. If this was a simple discussion, we would be having it in public. You want me or need for something and you want to make sure to get what it is that you want. It's very practical to have a plane, I can't escape, and you are in full control of the situation".

Church was about to answer when one of his men walked over.

"Sir, there is a video communication for you".

Church stood and looked at him. "Take her back to her room and don't take your eyes off her".

"We'll resume our discussion later", he said as he walked away.

The guy nodded and grabbed her by the elbow and pushed her towards the bedroom. She wriggled his hand off her.

"You touch me again and I will kill you the first chance I get"!

"I'd like to see you try" said the guy.

She shook her head. "You apparently don't know my résumé".

"Mauser, what can I do for you"? asked Church.

"Actually, it's more what I can do for you".

Church looked at him intrigued.

"You want to work for me now? Last time I asked you walked out of the church leaving me to deal with Ross".

"That hasn't changed. But I know you're always looking to improve your team and I have exactly the kind of profile and skills you are looking for".

"Is that so"?

"Yes. A guy that used to work for me many years ago is looking for a new challenge and good money".

"Does your guy have a name? I want to check his credentials".

"Malcolm O'Connor. He's one of the best".

Church typed the name into his computer and looked at his résumé and credentials. He lifted an eyebrow in interest.

"Indeed. You know me too well Mauser".

Trench smiled.

"How soon can he be available"?

"He's waiting".

"Perfect. Do I need to worry about insubordination or his lack of loyalty"? asked Church as he continued looking at the file. He had been an SAS soldier and wasn't American, and that was something he particularly liked.

"No. He's a good soldier Church. You won't have any problems".

Church closed the file and looked at Trench.

"Get in touch with your guy. Have him at Opa Locka Executive Airport tomorrow at 0900 hours. I will only be on the ground for fifteen minutes. If he's late, I leave without him".

"Understood".

Church ended the conversation and headed back to the living room and took a sip of his whiskey. He then headed back to Charlotte's room.

"My apologies for the interruption, it was an important business call".

Charlotte was sitting in the chair. "I don't give a damn about your apology. I want answers and I want them now"!

Church smiled and Charlie wondered if he ever got mad. "The only thing you need to know is that you are leverage. Even if you are stuck on my plane and under the surveillance of me and my men, I don't consider you a prisoner," he paused for a second, "l would say more a collaborator, a partner".

"A partnership? What's in it for me"?

"The truth and your freedom", replied Church.

"The truth about what"?

Church ignored her as he headed to a closet in the room and opened it. "I took the liberty of getting you some clothes. There is a bathroom with shower in the room next door. Freshen up, change. Dinner is at 7".

With that he left the room and she found herself aggravated by the fact that he hadn't answered her question. What truth was he talking about? She may have not liked him one bit, she knew from years of being undercover that, if she wanted information, she was going to have to play nice and get close to him.


	6. Chapter 6

The following morning, Charlie woke up and got dressed. She looked at her watch, it was 8 in the morning and if what she had felt was right, they had descended in attitude slightly.

She had in the end eaten in her room as Church had cancelled due to important things that needed his attention. She truly wondered who he was and what it was that he did for a living. Was he part of another government organization? Was he a terrorist, a dealer and trafficker? It was hard to know.

She walked out of her room and the watchdog looked at her. She had tried, the night before to tour the plane, but had been stopped several times. It was obvious that some parts of it were to remain secret and off limits, at least to her.

He followed her into the dining room where Church was waiting for her.

"Good morning Charlotte, or should I say Charlie"?

She stared at him ready to put him back in his place when she remembered that she had to win him over.

"Charlie is fine. Good morning".

He pointed to a breakfast buffet. "Serve yourself".

She nodded and took a plate at the end of the buffet table and served herself some fruit, a croissant and a yogurt, before sitting next to him at the table.

One of the stewards walked over to her, two pots in hand. "Coffee or tea"?

"Neither thank you. A glass of orange juice"?

He nodded and went back to the kitchen area.

"I'm sorry about last night. You must think I'm avoiding you, but I'm not. That would be impossible. An amazing and beautiful woman like yourself surely deserves my full attention".

She nodded. "I understand". She had to be careful. If she came on too strong too early, he'd see right through her.

"Are we descending"? she dared to ask.

"Only for a couple of minutes. A quick pick up and then we'll be back up in the air".

"Of course, you need to fill this baby up".

"I don't stop for fuel Charlie. The fuel comes to me".

"Impressive", she said smiling. "You really are independent".

"I don't like taking unnecessary and uncalculated risks".

"Safety first", she replied as she smiled then took a sip of the orange juice the steward had brought back.

"Tell me about your family, your childhood", said Church as he leaned back in his seat.

"There's not much to tell. I was raised by mother in Ann Arbor. My father died before I was even born, killed in combat".

Church raised an eyebrow upon hearing her relate what he knew to be false.

"I'm terribly sorry".

"My mother passed away a couple of years ago from cancer".

"It must be hard losing both your parents".

"Yes, it is".

"You never married"?

She shrugged. "I guess I never saw the need to. My mother was perfectly happy raising me on her own. She taught me how to be independent. Then again, maybe I never met the right man".

One of his guys came towards him.

"Sir, we'll be landing in fifteen minutes".

"Thank you, Evans".

He then looked at his watch. "Right on schedule, there's nothing I like more".

He stood and pointed his arm in the direction of the living room. "Shall we"?

Charlie took the napkin and wiped her mouth before standing up. She passed in front of Church and felt his hand place itself on her lower back. There was a slight turbulence and even though she could have taken it without blinking, she pretended to lose her balance.

As she had planned, he caught her. She looked at him, forcing herself to blush so that he could notice. "Thank you".

Church smiled back.

Charlie continued walking towards the living room proud of herself. That was what being a chameleon was all about. Being able to manage your emotions and body at will. Being able to manipulate someone when needed, without them knowing.

Barney and Lee sat in the pick-up waiting, cautiously at the edges of the airport.

"You're sure about this"? Barney asked Lee.

Lee nodded. "I'll get her out of there, I promise".

"I trust you", replied Barney. "You've got one week".

"You're going to go ahead with Church's mission"?

"Yes. I need to find out what is so important in his eyes that he's using her as bait".

"What if it's a lure"?

"I'm willing to take that risk".

Barney handed a watch over to Lee. "Toll Road placed an undetectable chip inside. We'll be able to communicate by messages and get your coordinates".

Lee took the watch and placed it on his wrist and looked at it.

"I should get going".

He opened the door and stepped out of the pick-up.

Barney watched as Lee entered the terminal and disappeared inside, before leaving the premises.

Lee walked up to one of the security guards and gave him the instructions Trench had received from Church. The guard let him out on the tarmac and kept him company while they waited.

A few minutes later, a 747 appeared and made its descent towards the runway. It landed smoothly and stopped a few yards away from them. A boarding staircase was brought over and when in place, the airplane plug door opened.

Lee walked over as a man in a suit went down the stairs.

They met on the tarmac.

"I need to check you before you can board the plane".

Lee spread his legs and arms out and let the frisk him. The guy took Lee's Glock 23. "I'll keep this for the time being. Follow me".

As Lee entered the plane he was met by Church.

"Mr. O'Connor, welcome aboard".

Lee shook his hand and smiled. "Thank you. Appreciate you taking me on board. I was afraid I was out of a job".

"I'm always looking for men with your expertise Mr. O'Connor".

The guy showed Church Lee's gun.

Church took it and handed it back to Lee. "I don't think I need to remind you that we're on a plane".

Lee smiled. "Of course".

"Check his bag", said Church to the guy.

Lee handed over his bag.

"All clear", said the guy as he handed Lee his bag back.

Church looked at his guy. "Tell the pilot that we're taking off in ten minutes".

The guy nodded and left.

"Back to business, shall we Mr. O'Connor"?

Lee nodded.

"I'm sure that you've seen a lot of combat and prefer a more active involvement but for the time being, I would need you to be a sort of bodyguard".

"A bodyguard, Sir"?

"Yes. There is someone on board that is very precious and important to me and I need to make sure that this person is safe and remains unaware of my business collaborations. If you understand what I mean"?

"Absolutely".

"Most of my men are inexperienced when it comes to these kinds of situations. I believe that you British have a way with people and are true gentlemen. I'm sure those qualities will be very much appreciated. I hope that won't be a problem"?

"I don't see why it should".

"Perfect. Let's get settled in shall we"?

Church headed down the aisle, Lee in tow as the steward closed the door.

He followed Church into what appeared to be an executive living room and when Church stepped aside, Lee saw her. She was sitting in one of the leather seats looking out the window. He realized, seeing her in person that good-looking had been a too weak a word to describe her and he hadn't done her justice. She was beautiful and breath-taking. She was wearing a red blouse and a pair of jeans. Her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and when she turned her attention to them, her dark brown deer-shaped eyes locked on his.

"Charlie? I'd like you to meet Mr. Malcom O'Connor".

She stood and smiled which threw Lee off balance. There was something wrong with this picture. She didn't seem the slightest bit a prisoner.

"Mr. O'Connor will be at your side at all times. Wherever you are he will be, even in your quarters. I know most of my men haven't been very accommodating and boorish. I'm sure and Mr. O'Connor will get along just fine".

"Thank you, Church. I appreciate the gesture".

One of the men came over.

"Barney Ross is on the line, he wants to meet you in person to discuss the mission", whispered the guy in Church's ear.

"Tell the pilot to hold off departure".

He then turned his attention to Charlie and Lee. "An unexpected meeting has just been brought to my attention".

A few guys joined the other one. Church looked at one of them. "If anyone, and by that, I mean anyone, tries to get off this plane, you shoot them down. Keep Miss Michaels in your line of fire until the plane is on the runway".

The man moved in closer to Charlie, took his gun out, armed it and pointed it towards her head.

Church looked at her. "Remember Charlie, this is not personal, just business".

Charlie said nothing as she watched Church head for the door and walk down the tarmac with three of his men.

Lee realized that the one opportunity he had of getting her out of here had just disappeared. Even if he tried to disarm the guy, there were too many and it would be too risky for Charlie. He simply stood there and waited along with the others for the plane to race down the runway and lift off, without Church. Which, in the end was an advantage for Lee.

When they were up in the air Charlie unfastened her seatbelt and stood. She headed towards the kitchen to get a bottle of water. She suddenly seemed less welcoming and pleased than when he had come on board. She returned to her seat and he sat across from her. For the first couple of hours she sat there saying nothing. It was no surprise as she had no need to converse with him.

Tired of sitting there looking out the window, she stood and headed towards her quarters.

Lee followed her.

When she tried to close the door, he placed his foot inside the room to block it.

"You're kidding me right"? she said to him.

"My orders are to stay with you at all times, including here".

She stared him down all the while analyzing her opponent. "And what are you going to do if I tell you to go fuck yourself"?

'Yep', he thought, 'You're Barney's daughter for sure'. "Look, I don't want things to get messy. But if I have to, I will use force. I may be a gentleman in most situations but get on my bad side and I'll be worse than all the other watchdogs put together".

There was no way, she was going to let this guy into her quarters. Church's orders or not. She turned around and pretended to let him in and when he least expected it, she turned around and tried to send a jab to his throat. He caught her hand, forced her to turn around and pinned her against the wall. That's when he saw it, the surveillance camera in the corner of the room. Church or one of his men had their eyes constantly on her. He knew that if he wanted to earn Church's trust that he needed to prove himself. He knew that what he was going to do next would be painful, for both her and him, but he had no choice. He turned her around and struck her with the back of his hand, sending her crashing on the bed.

He towered over her. "Try that again and I won't be so delicate".

Sitting in a black SUV en route to his meeting with Barney, Church watched the scene from his iPad and smiled. It was now obvious that he had made the right choice in hiring Mr. O'Connor.


	7. Chapter 7

Lee watched Charlie as she slept. After he had slapped her, she hadn't said a word nor tried to fight back. Her cheek was still red, and he felt bad about it. He hated the fact that he had to strike her. He would never hit a woman, unless really deserved and yet not someone innocent like Charlie.

He looked at the screen. They had been circling over the state of Florida for hours, probably waiting for Church's green light to land so he could get back on board.

He discreetly sent Barney a quick message, saying that everything was going as planned so far and that Charlie was safe and unharmed. He intentionally omitted to tell him that he'd had to slap her. He hoped that when the truth came out, she wouldn't hold it against him.

In the early hours of the morning, the plane changed trajectory and headed towards the west coast. Where the hell was Church?

He let himself doze off, knowing full well that he had a light sleep and had placed himself in front of the door. There was no way Charlie would be able to get out without him knowing.

When Church saw Barney's pickup truck stop at the rendezvous point, he got out of his car and walked to the middle of the abandoned lot underneath a highway bridge.

"I was starting to get the impression that you had decided not to save your daughter", said Church as Barney walked in his direction.

"Then you don't know me", replied Barney. "Where is she Church"?

"Charlie is fine. I've enjoyed the little time I've been able to spend with her, but then again what man wouldn't. In all honesty, I'm having a hard time from restraining myself of doing two things".

"What's that put a bullet through your head and dying"?

"Oh, no. The first would be to tell her the truth about the father she believes to be dead and the second is keeping my hands off her body".

Barney said nothing even though he wanted to punch Church in the face.

"I'm still wondering which of the two would get you really mad to the point that it would break you".

"I'm stronger than you think", replied Barney.

"See, I doubt that. If she were a stranger, I'd agree but we're talking about your flesh and blood, daddy's little girl, even if she's all grown up. I'm not a father, but if I were, knowing that someone as vile as me, were to even think about touching one of my children, I'd inflict the worse death possible, because I'd be so broken, that something would have snapped inside of me".

"You and I have nothing in common Church. I'll do your mission and I'll get you your money and you're going to give me daughter back".

Church nodded and handed a file over to Barney. "Callum Schleck. He has something that I need. Retrieve it, give me my money and Charlie is free to go".

"Got it", said Barney has he took the file and headed back towards his pickup truck.

"You have 5 days, Ross. After that, you can kiss Charlie goodbye".

When he woke up, he saw that Charlie was awake, sitting on the bed and looking at him.

"I need a shower", she said looking at him.

He opened the door and headed for the bathroom. He opened the door and did a quick check of the room, which allowed him to see that there was also a camera there. There was apparently no limit to the extent of Church's surveillance, and he found it quite perverse.

He stepped aside allowing Charlie inside and he looked the door from the outside making sure she couldn't get out. He then walked over to the control center and saw that indeed they were watching Charlie get undressed. All the guys were eyeing her and smiling.

"Man! I'd give anything to give her a taste of my medicine", said one of the guys crudely.

"Tell me about it! Look at her"!

The first guy turned around and winked at Lee.

"You're one lucky SOB".

"What do you mean"? asked Lee.

"Well you can actually follow her in there. She's off limits for us, boss' orders. If I were you, I'd go in there and show her a good time"!

"Voyeurism is not my thing", replied Lee.

The guys looked at each other and smiled. "Well, there's no audio and if you get your way, I promise to shut off the camera for ten minutes, that should give you plenty of time to give that bitch a good ride"!

"And then I get fired. Tempting, but I'll pass".

Lee didn't want to pass that opportunity, but he had to be sure of what he was getting into.

"Church isn't here, and he can't have access to that camera from the ground, only the one in her bedroom, living room, dining room and kitchen. He won't know and we won't tell him. Consider it as our welcome gift to you for joining the team".

Lee raised an eyebrow. It was perfect. No audio, no video for ten minutes and Church not knowing. He could turn the situation around in his head over and over again, this was the only way he'd be able to talk to Charlie and explain everything. If he wanted to get her out, she was going to have to trust him and she wouldn't be able to do that if she ignored the truth. Yet, he knew that if this the way he was going to go about doing it, Barney would have his head on a stick. To slap her was one thing, to seduce her and…, that was something completely different.

Lee threw his hands up in the air. "Deal. But, if one of you doesn't stick to your part of the deal, I'll kill you the first chance I get".

The guys nodded and Lee walked out of the control room. He hesitated briefly outside of the bathroom door before unlocking it and stepping inside, carefully locking it back up. The water was running, and she hadn't heard him come in. He looked towards the camera as he started to get undressed. He opened the glass door and let himself in the shower, keeping his back to the camera.

Charlie turned around as she heard the glass door open and close behind her. Her eyes grew wide with fear and anger as she saw Lee naked in front of her.

She slapped him across the face and tried to push him aside so she could get out of the shower.

"Ouch", said one of the guys as they watched the screen. "You've got to give him credit for trying".

"Don't rule him out just yet, no one said it be done with her consent".

Lee grabbed Charlie by the arm and pinned her against the shower wall, so that she had her back to him, removing any possibility she had to knee him in a very strategic place. He had a déjà vu when he had done the same the night before in her quarters.

He leaned in and placed his mouth close to her ear, from behind, it would look as though he was kissing her neck.

"I don't work for Church, I'm here to get you out and to safety".

Charlie was trying to free herself from his grasp and she was strong.

"Look, Drummer sent me, please work with me here".

Upon hearing Drummer's name, he felt Charlie ease up.

"How do I know you're not setting me up"?

"You are CIA Covert Agent Charlotte Jane Michaels. You were on an undercover mission in South Africa when you got kidnapped by Church as you were headed to meet your handler. Your mother is Joanna Michaels and your father Barney Ross, you grew up in Ann Arbor".

"Anybody could know that, even Church".

Lee sighed. She was right. He had to find something more personal, that Church wouldn't have been able to know.

"There's a picture of you on the beach looking out at the sunset and you've got quite an arsenal hidden behind a panel of your office wall triggered by The Art of War".

Again, he felt her ease up.

"Fine. You've got a plan"? she asked.

"For this particular moment, yes, but you're not going to like the first and last couple of minutes".

"Why"?

"Because, the only way, I'm going to get them to stop watching us through the surveillance camera, for ten minutes, is if we …", his voice trailed off.

She inhaled and exhaled. It didn't take a brain surgeon to know what it was. He was, after all, naked behind her and in the shower.

"Fine, let's just get these first couple of minutes over and done with, just don't go overboard".

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind", said Lee as he rolled his eyes. He was naked in front of what he considered to be his type of woman and with the body to go with it and she was asking him not to go overboard? It was like asking a cat not to purr, when you caressed it, almost impossible.

Lee started to kiss her neck and at the same time, let his hands inch down to her chest.

As much as Charlie didn't want to react, it was obvious that this guy's touch on her skin had more of an impact than she had imagined. She was trying to convince herself it was all an act, like being undercover, but her body was winning the battle against her mind.

"See, told you. Ah, the Brits, there's something about them that women go crazy about".

"Let's turn off the camera", said the other guy.

"Nah, let's give him another minute".

Lee turned Charlie, so that she faced him. He brought his face closer to hers. "Over my left shoulder, red light or no light"? he asked with his lips an inch from hers.

She carefully looked over his shoulder. "Red".

Upon her answer, Lee's lips closed over hers and it sent her overboard. What she had asked him not to do, she found herself doing and he realized it. He suddenly let go of all his inhibitions; the fact that they were being watched, the fact that they hardly knew each other, the fact that it was a mission, the fact that she was Barney's daughter. Suddenly, in that precise moment, none of it mattered. There was a connection, a mutual attraction and neither one of them apparently wanted to fight it.

She felt his tongue outline her lips through his and welcomed it as she parted her lips. When her tongue caressed his, she let out a soft moan. He let go of her hands and she placed them on his broad, muscular and bare back and pulled him in closer to her.


	8. Chapter 8

He pulled back his lips from hers and she shot a look at the camera.

"No light".

Lee took a step back and looked at her. "What the hell was that"?

"I don't know. You tell me"?

"I was playing a part", said Lee, knowing it was a lie.

"So, was I", she replied.

"Didn't feel like it", he said raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I could return the same comment to you. You thought they would need to be able to see your tongue in my mouth"?

"You're the one who opened it"!

"You started"!

"And you let out a moan of pleasure".

"Enough"! said Charlie finally. "Why are we even talking about this? We're wasting time".

"Exactly", said Lee.

"What's your name"?

"That's your first question"?

"Well, gee, excuse me, but I generally like to know the name of a guy who sticks his tongue in my mouth".

"Lee. Lee Christmas, "he paused for a second, "and this is not the way things were supposed to go".

"No shit, Sherlock. What did you have planned"?

"I don't know, dinner, drinks, bring you back to your place, talk about your arsenal, then maybe sex and not in a shower".

Charlie gave a little laugh and smiled.

"I'm sorry", she said as she took a step back.

"I'm generally a very honest person, so don't hold it against me, but I'm not sorry".

Charlie smiled again. Neither was she, but she didn't really want to admit it.

"What are you? CIA"?

"No. An independent group of mercenaries that sometimes helps Drummer and the CIA off the record".

"And Drummer hired you to get me".

"Yes".

"How did the CIA know where I was".

"Church got in contact and then we were able to infiltrate me".

"Why does Church want me? He keeps saying it's not personal but business, but he says it so often, I'm starting to think it's the opposite".

"Let's just say it's both but we don't have time to get into that right now. We need to find a way to get you off this plane and the only way to do that is when it's on the ground".

"That's not going to be easy. I'd been here for two days, when he landed to get you on board".

"I could mess around with the fuel, so that it empties out slowly, forcing them to land and refuel".

"Good idea, but a waste of time".

"Why"?

"Believe it or not, this baby gets refueled in air".

Lee's eyes opened wide. "What"?

"Yep, a tanker plane comes at regular intervals to refuel while we're flying".

"Are you sure"?

"Yes, I saw it the other day from the window, it's a military plane, that's for sure".

"Damn it. Then it won't work".

"It will have to land to get Church back on board, but I have no idea where and when".

"We can't let Church back on board".

"Why not"?

"Because, we've dealt with him before, he never lives up to his end of the deal and I'm afraid that".

She interrupted him. "That he'll kill me".

"And that is not an option".

She eyed him and his body language, facial expressions. "Why do I get the feeling that this is more than just a mission for you, that somehow it's personal"?

Lee realized that she was good, she was damn good at her job and that he had a lousy poker face. He looked at his watch.

"We only have a minute left before they turn the camera on. We need to think of another option and fast and this is the only place we'll be able to talk. What's on the rest of this plane"?

"I don't know, I've never been able to get further down to investigate".

"Fine, I'll try to find out".

He brought himself closer to her body. "Fifteen seconds. Don't take any offense in what I'm about to ask, but how good are you at faking an orgasm"?

She smirked. "Not something I've had to do before, so I guess we're about to find out".

He grabbed her leg by the thigh and pulled it up against his hip, positioning himself between her legs, making it look as real as possible. She started to moan and heave and yell of pleasure as she saw the red light turn back on. Lee gave her a couple of minutes of acting, then he let out a grunt as he let his head roll back, pretending to reach his.

He then pulled away, stepped out of the shower, dried himself off, got dressed and walked out without saying another word or even looking at her.

He headed back towards the control center and smirked as he looked at the guys.

"So"? asked one of them.

"I could do this every day", replied Lee. "That being said, the shower is not very comfortable. You think that next time you could turn off the surveillance in her quarters"?

"Turn it off? Hell no, but I know how we can give you some privacy".

Lee sat down intrigued. "Tell me".

"Church's quarters are at the end of the plane and there are no cameras back there".

"I like the idea, but won't he worry about not seeing her on a camera somewhere"?

"You don't know anything about technology do you"? replied the one in charge of the control room.

"Can't say that I do".

"All it takes it the recording of a couple of minutes and loop it on the uplink. Church won't have a clue".

"You", Lee said pointing to the young guy, "are my new best friend. Set it up for tomorrow night".

He stood. "And while she's recuperating in there, I'm going to go check out Church's quarters in reconnaissance".

All the men laughed. "You do that Casanova".


	9. Chapter 9

Toll Road, Cesar, Yang and Gunner walked into the hangar and looked at Barney.

"What is it that Church wants from us"? asked Cesar.

"He wants us to recuperate something from a guy named CallumvSchleck. He's a German businessman".

"Ok", said Gunnar, "we go to Germany, find the guy, get what Church wants without causing any trouble and you get Charlie back".

Barney shook his head. "It's not going to be that easy. He wants us to recuperate a chip. And the chip is inside Schleck's arm".

"What's on the chip"? asked Toll Road.

"I have no idea, but I'd like to find out what's so important to Church that he'd trade Charlie for it"? said Barney.

"If he trades her", said Cesar.

Barney looked at Cesar but said nothing.

"Look, this is Church we're talking about, this guy has screwed us over more than once and I don't trust him".

"I know, let's hope that Lee can get her out of Church's reach before we need to hand that chip over".

"Have you heard from him today"? asked Gunnar.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago. Apparently, he made contact with Charlie, he's trying to find a way out".

"That's already a good sign", replied Gunnar.

"Let's get everything we can on this Schleck guy; where he lives, where he works, how he gets there and then we need to head over to Germany", said Barney as he sent a message to Lee.

The rest of the day, evening and next day were quite uneventful for Lee and Charlie. They hardly talked, which in the end was normal, but hard. Even if it wasn't to discuss their potential escape plan, being able to talk about anything would have been nice, but they couldn't take the chance to seem to close, if Church was watching.

After dinner, he led her down in front of the control room, winked at the guys as he passed, and headed for the back of the plane.

He opened a door and they both entered Church's chambers.

"God! This silence is killing me"!

Lee nodded. "I agree".

"Where are we"?

"Church's chambers and in case you're worried there are no cameras here".

"How do you know that"?

"The guys gave me this idea so that we could have a bit more intimacy. I told them the shower wasn't very comfortable".

Charlie smiled and his heart skipped a beat.

She sat down on Church's bed.

"What have you managed to find out"?

"Well, our team needs to retrieve a chip inside the arm of a German guy name Callum Schleck. Name ring a bell"?

"Callum Schleck? He's not German"!

"What do you mean? You know this guy"?

"Yeah of course. He's American, of course of German origin, but that's not important".

"Who is he Charlie"?

"He's a safe".

Lee blinked a couple of times. "A safe"?

"A safe is someone who works for the CIA and guards very valuable information so that it can't be found out through hacking systems".

"What kind of information"?

"The kind that could get all covert agents killed; their photograph, a list of their names, addresses, family members".

Lee sighed. "And with that kind of information, Church has enough leverage on either the CIA or the agents themselves to reel in the big money".

"That's not what worries me. Imagine if Church were to sell this kind of information to criminals around the world, operatives who are currently undercover could get made and killed".

Lee said nothing as he thought about what she was saying.

"My name is on that list". She paused for a second. "I'm getting the impression that the first chance he gets, Church will kill me. He'll use me as an example to sell this list, to show that's it's accurate and reliable".

Lee took a step closer to her and knelt in front of her. "I'm not going to let that happen".

He lifted her chin so that she looked at him. "I'm making you that promise, that I won't let anything happen to you".

She shook her head in disbelief. "Why? Would you even risk your life for me? And don't tell me that it's because it's what you do for a living".

How could he tell her the truth? How could he break it to her that her father was still alive? How could he reveal to her that ever since he had seen her on that screen in the hangar, he was attracted to her and that having spent the past three days with her, along with their shower moment, had only increased his feelings for her, his attraction for her?

"It's the job, it's what I do".

She stood. "Bullshit! Stay here if you want, but I'm going to sleep and remember I didn't ask for you to come and save me"!

She passed in front of him. He stood and grabbed her arm firmly and pinned her against the door.

"Let go of me"!

"You know this is becoming a bit of a habit, my needing to pin you up against walls and honestly, I've had enough".

"Then let me go"!

"You want to know why? I'll tell you why"!

He leaned his body in closer to hers.

"When I look at you, I feel things I've never felt before not for anyone. Your smile and the way you bite your lip when you're nervous or thinking, only makes me want to kiss you. The way you put a strand of hair behind your ear, revealing your neck so naturally and unconsciously makes me want to trail it down with my fingers. And yesterday, feeling your body against mine, your skin on mine, you have no idea how I had to refrain myself from making love to you"!

Charlie looked at him.

"And I'm afraid that what I feel for you is going to get you killed because my head is not where it should be".

"Lee, we're trapped on an airplane, Church isn't here. Right now, this is probably the safest place for me to be".

He let go of her arms.

"What are you saying"?

"I trust you", she said as she placed her hand on her cheek.

She was right. There and then, she was safe, and he could let his guard down without putting her in jeopardy.

He placed his hand firmly on her back and pulled her into his body. He settled the other hand on the side of her neck and drew her face to his, their eyes locking and never straying as their lips touched. At first it was delicate but very quickly, their kissing grew into fiery passion.

She placed her hands on the back of his neck, letting him know she wanted more. As the day before, in the shower, his tongue found hers and an electric current through his body.

He pulled away and grabbed the hem of her blouse and lifted it over her head, tossing it to the floor. He kissed her neck and worked his way down to her cleavage, as he agilely unhooked her bra. He lowered the straps from her shoulders and arms and let it fall to the floor. He looked at her, this time he could; he could take the time to discover every inch her body offered to him. His lips took their time on her breasts as she shivered in extasy. His mouth cupped her breasts and teased her hardening nipples, first with his tongue than with his teeth.

He put his hands on her buttocks and lifted her so that she was straddling him. They resumed kissing as he walked over towards the bed. He laid her gently down on it and stood at the end of the bed. He removed her jeans and looked at her, she looked amazing half-naked, wearing a white thong, that contrasted with Church's black satin sheets. He stripped off all his clothes and placed himself at the bottom of the bed, letting his hands caress her legs, slowly moving upwards. His fingers curled themselves at the edge of her thong and he slid it slowly down her legs, to her feet and off completely.

She was breathing heavily, and her eyes closed as his mouth found her fold and with every stroke of his tongue, she felt closer and closer to the edge of rapture. He knew it and continued, wanting to give her as much pleasure as possible. Her moaning increased, her hands grabbed the sheets and she arched her back, letting the orgasm invade her body and accepting it wholly, abandoning herself to him.

She let his hands and fingers caress her body as she recovered. When he least expected it, she grabbed his shoulders and flipped him over, straddling him. She caressed his muscular chest before sliding her body down lower. She placed her hand and stroked him before taking him in her mouth. He closed his eyes as her hand, mouth and tongue worked on him with such craving that nothing mattered anymore aside from them.

He placed his hands on her arms and pulled her to him as they looked in each other's eyes. He penetrated her and she exhaled giving a slight moan of pleasure. Straddled on him, her hands resting steadily on his chest, she answered and echoed his every pelvic thrust, feeling it rise inside of her like a volcano under pressure, waiting to explode. She had never felt that with any other man before and it was overwhelming. The simple touch of him on her body, in her body, was enough to make her lose control of all her inhibitions.

In one brisk move, he flipped her on to her back. He took her hands and brought them to the side of her face as he intertwined his fingers in hers. He resumed his coming and going, his eyes riveted on hers, wanting to see the pleasure and orgasm build up inside of her.

"Lee"! she screamed as her body shuddered under his.

It was enough to send him past the breaking point and he joined her in one last thrust.

"Charlie", he whispered as he let his forehead touch hers and kissed her.

He placed himself next to her and pulled her in so that her head rested on his chest.

He had known many women, had had sex with many of them and never had he felt so much pleasure nor so connected with anyone before. This is what it should have been like all these years and he had missed out on it and he wanted nothing more than to feel this for the rest of his life.

"Where the hell have you been all this time"? he asked thinking out loud as he caressed her back.

"Waiting", she simply replied knowing exactly what he meant and that she could have asked him the same question.

In the perfectness of the moment, in their safe cocoon, they fell asleep not knowing that within 24 hours all of this would be put to the test.


End file.
